Character Perspective Guest Post with Terri Osburn
Hi there! Iβm Terri Osburn and today Iβm excited to celebrate the release of THE LAST IN LOVE, the fifth
and final installment in my Ardent Springs Series.
This entire series has been about second chances, and Abigail βAbbyβ Williams
deserves one more than most. After losing her husband to a roadside bomb, this
Army widow has watched family and friends all find their happily ever afters.
All while sheβs still mourning the husband, and future, that she lost.
Anyone whoβs had the experience will tell you that being a military wife is not
for the weak, and Abby definitely learned that during her marriage. The constant
worry. The long months alone, hoping heβs safe and feeling guilty for wishing he
didnβt have to be so far away. The fear you canβt ignore. Will this be the last
time I see him alive? Will that dreaded knock on the door come today?
Unfortunately for Abby, that knock did come, and sheβs spent two years trying to
get past it. Letβs see how sheβs doing now.
Do you regret marrying a military man?
Of course not. I loved Kyle and I donβt regret a moment that I had with him. He
taught me about patience, duty, and honor. I wouldnβt trade those years for
anything.
News has it that you set your kitchen on fire. What happened?
Thatβs an excellent question. All I did was put a cake in the over. Seems like a
harmless enough thing, doesnβt it? Next thing I knew, the smoke alarm was
blaring and I grabbed my phone and ran out of the house. According to Justin, a
faulty oven was to blame.
Who is Justin?
Oh, yes. *deep sigh* Justin Donovan is a former acquaintance and a local
volunteer firefighter who responded to the call. (Author note: by former
acquaintance she means a man five years her junior whom she once babysat. She
doesnβt like to mention that part.) Ahem. Justin was nice enough to be with me
when the insurance rep came to look at the house. He knows much more about these
things than I do, and it was nice to have someone there for support.
A younger man? Go, Abby.
There is no go, Abby. Iβm 33 and heβs 28. I was his babysitter, as Ms. Osburn
had to bring up. I couldnβt possibly date him. (Author note: Heβs all grown up.
Thereβs no reason she canβt date him.)
But you do date him, donβt you?
I do. I mean, technically, weβre both adults. And weβre working together to
start a landscaping business. So itβs a little business and pleasure.
Arenβt you a nurse?
Thatβs a touchy subject. I was a nurse, until the hospital was hit with
budget cuts and I became disposable. It isnβt as if I gave them more than ten
years of my life or anything. I applied for other nursing jobs in the area, but
for reasons beyond my control, could not find a position. Itβs fine. Now Iβm
trying something new. Something creative. Thatβs what you do, right? You take a
hit and get back up to fight another day.
Do you think itβs smart to mix business and pleasure?
Maybe not for some, but this isnβt an office situation and Iβm not dating my
boss. Justin and I are equals. I made sure of that when I agreed to take this
crazy dive into something I know almost nothing about. And more importantly, Iβm
having fun. Not sure I can remember the last time I could say that. Also, have
you seen the man? Iβm only human over here.
So heβs hot?
Thatβs like saying, βSo a buttercup is kind of yellow?β
Weβll take that as a yes. Isnβt it scary dating a firefighter? Especially
after what happened with your husband?
Iβll admit, I had my doubts. Especially when that factory mess happened. (Author
note: youβll have to read the book to find out what happened at the factory.)
But as a very wise woman pointed out, you love for better or worse. When the
worse comes along, you donβt walk away. Nothing is ever guaranteed so if youβre
lucky enough to find love, you hold on tight and deal with whatever comes.
So you love Justin?
These are very personal questions. Next, please.
Anything else you want to tell us about how youβve overcome adversity?
Thatβs a more reasonable question. The fact is, I havenβt always handled my
adversities in the best way possible. I went through it allβdenial, anger, pity,
and depression. And along the way, I hurt a few people closest to me. But in the
end, I found my feet again. I found my voice, learned to let the past go, and
moved on. Even when it looked like my second chance wasnβt going to happen. That
doesnβt make me special. It makes me human. As I said before, you take a hit and
get up to fight another day. Sometimes you drink a bottle of wine first, but
once the room stops spinning and the hangover clears, you stand up and move forward.
My journey hasnβt always been graceful, but Iβm still here and Iβm finally happy
again. Iβll take that any day.
Abby Williams lost her husbandβand the future she envisionedβto a roadside
bomb in a foreign land, so a kitchen fire is no big deal. When the local firemen
show up to put out the blaze, the army widow finds herself attracted to one hot
volunteer firefighterβ¦until she realizes itβs Justin Donovan, a man five years
her junior.
Justin has long carried a torch for Abby. But after she got married ten years
ago, he put her out of his mind, left Ardent Springs for Chicago, and got a job
as a real estate developer. Now heβs backβfor reasons heβd rather not shareβand
he wants to prove to Abby that age is nothing but a number. Will Abbyβs
reluctance and Justinβs secrets extinguish any attempts at romance? Or will the
sparks between them ignite a second chance at love?
Romance Contemporary
[Montlake Romance, On Sale: May 30, 2017, Paperback
/ e-Book, / ]
Terri Osburn started putting words on the page in 2007. Five years later, she was named a finalist in
the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart contest for unpublished manuscripts.
Shortly after, she signed with an agent and moved into publication, with her
debut novel, Meant to Be, released from Montlake Romance in May 2013. Terri
lives on the East Coast with one high schooler, three long-suffering tabbies,
and a hyper Yorkiepoo with attachment issues. To learn more about Terri, check
out her website at terriosburn.com.
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